The Lion and a Mouse
by Rhov
Summary: Once upon a time, a little blonde mouse dared to sneak into the Lion's den to eat some food scraps. When the Lion returned home... This is a "Fairy Tail" fairy tale. LoLu Week Day 7: Fairy tale.


_A/N: I wrote this for LoLu Week, which runs from August 11 to 17th. Please drop in and see all the pretty fanart and fanfics._

**lolu-week. deviantart com  
loluweek. tumblr com**

_Disclaimer: Fairy Tail is owned by Hiro Mashima. For the prompt Fairy Tale, I decided to base it on a real fairy tale, "The Lion and a Mouse." This is not Aesop's tale, it's a different one, but it fits. When I first read this fairy tale, I wondered "what sort of lion thinks a mouse is pretty and flirts with it?" Obviously, a celestial one! "The Lion and a Mouse" is a fairy tale and thus not under copyright.  
_

**Day 7: Fairy Tale**

* * *

**The Lion and a Mouse**

a _Fairy Tail_ fanfic

by Rhov

Once upon a time, there was a tiny blonde mouse named Lucy. Every day, the little mouse ventured off in search of food. However, there were snakes to avoid and hawks who tried to grab her. It was dangerous for such a tiny mouse, and she often went hungry.

One day, while searching the rocky hills, Lucy came near the den of a lion and smelled something delicious. Starving and too tempted by the aroma, tiny Lucy squeaked and scurried inside the empty den. There was no lion around, so she felt brave. All around the lion's den were scraps of food. The lion ate only the best, but he was not very tidy. Lucy nibbled on the leftovers. She ate quite a lot of meat. As the sun sank, she decided to burrow a little mouse hole and stay the night. With her belly full, she was fast asleep within minutes.

In the middle of the night, with the stars shining in the heavens, the mighty lion Loke returned. Since it was dark, he could not see the blonde mouse sleeping on the floor. The Lion had brought with him a piece of meat he had hunted, and he ate it fully, leaving the bones aside. Then he fell asleep, and he began to snore. This woke up the little mouse. Lucy looked around in shock. Her first instinct was to run away, but then she saw the lion sleeping close to her. Her heart fluttered to see such a dashing and noble creature. She crept up slowly, peering at his face. His hair was unruly, yet he looked so peaceful as he slept. Cautiously, she stroked the orange hair. It felt so soft, and the Lion began to purr. It made Lucy giggle.

Just then, Loke woke up and felt the tiny hand on him. "Who's there?" he roared, preparing for an attack.

Lucy replied with a feeble voice, "I'm only a little mouse. Please don't eat me."

"Where are you? Show yourself."

"Sorry, I'm rather small compared to you. I'm down here," said Lucy the Mouse.

Loke the Lion lit a lamp and searched for the small voice. As the light illuminated the den, he saw it was clean, not the mess of old food and trash it had been before. Finally, he saw the blonde mouse quivering in the corner. She was surprisingly pretty...for a mouse. Such a small creature made the Lion feel a need to protect, not to hurt. Plus, since it was obviously the mouse who cleaned his home, he decided to treat the intruder as a guest.

"First, tell me your name and why you entered my den."

The mouse folded her hands neatly in front of her. "My name is Lucy. I was in search of food, and the smell of the meat lead me here. I'm very sorry. I'll leave now. Please allow me to go."

Loke thought for a moment. "Well, if you want to stay here, I'm not against that. You're rather cute and small."

Still Lucy shook in fear. Surely, the Lion would wait until she fell asleep and then eat her up. "No, please, just allow me to leave. I'll never come back."

Loke did not like the idea of the mouse vanishing like that. He never had guests, and he did not want to seem rude to the first one he ever got.

"Hey, I said you can stay. You'll be my guest."

"No, I'd really rather go home."

He was frustrated, but seeing the mouse in that fearful condition made the Lion feel sorry for her. He approached, and she cowered down, knowing he was probably going to devour her on the spot. Instead, his mighty paw reached out, and he stroke the blonde fur.

"I never knew a mouse could feel so soft," Loke said in a quiet voice. It made Lucy stop her shaking, and she looked up into his eyes with surprise.

"I never knew a lion could act so gentle," she replied.

That made his heart swell with pride. "My name is Loke. I am a great lion in these parts. The other animals fear me, so I have no friends. You're the first animal brave enough to enter my home. You startled me, that's all. I have a plan that will benefit us both. Just listen to me carefully. I hunt everyday, but I never eat all the food I bring back. You are a small animal, so you can easily eat the leftovers and be happy. If you enjoy eating like this without searching for food, you can stay here. So long as you stay in my den, no snakes will hunt you, and no hawks will carry you away. My reputation alone will keep you safe, and I will fight anyone who tries to hurt you."

Lucy was surprised, and with happiness she said, "Yes Loke, I like that plan. If it's not a bother then, I shall stay in the den."

"One more condition," said the Lion. "You must keep the den clean by eating all the leftover pieces of meat. Any bones or leftover meat, you shall carry away and keep the den tidy."

It seemed fair to the timid mouse, and she eagerly agreed. "But please don't touch me," she added.

"I'll only touch you if you request it," he agreed. "Sleep in that corner, and I'll sleep here in the middle of the den. I won't touch you as you sleep, and I'll keep us both safe from predators."

The Lion curled up, and Lucy watched for a while to make sure he kept his promise. After a few minutes, she heard him snoring again, so she too drifted off to sleep.

Lucy had a habit of rolling freely on the floor while sleeping. By midnight, the mouse had rolled around until she was near the Lion. She woke only for a moment, felt his soft fur, and jolted. Then she realized it was not he who had come for her, but she had rolled over to him. He was warm, his fur was soft, and his purring snores were comforting. Feeling safe, the tiny mouse curled into the Lion's leg, and from then on she no longer rolled around in her sleep. She dreamed peacefully against his fur.

Although he never opened his eyes, Loke felt Lucy curl up against him, and he adjusted his leg slightly so she would be warm through the night.

The early rays of the sun shined through the den's entry, waking the Lion. As Loke opened his eyes, he found Lucy sleeping innocently on his leg. He watched the mouse for some time, but finally it was time to hunt. He nudged the tiny mouse with his paw until she woke up. Lucy looked straight into the face of the Lion that appeared so big and too close. She cried loudly and tried to jump away, but she was prevented by the Lion.

"Don't be scared. You fell asleep on me, but I'm hungry now. I wanna eat! Maybe...could I get up now?"

Lucy looked into Loke's eyes, and they were far too tender for the terrifying predator that made all other animals tremble. He was nothing more than a giant pussy cat! She broke into peels of laughter.

Loke looked offended. "What is it? What's funny? Is something in my fur?"

She shook her head and explained, "The King of Beasts is asking the permission of a tiny mouse if he's allowed to get up and fetch breakfast!"

Seeing her joy, Loke also started to laugh. Her tiny squeaks and his loud roars echoed through the rocky hills.

From that time on, Lucy and Loke lived together in the cave. They were happy, she was safe, and he got to cuddle against her in a clean den every night. Thus, the Lion and the Mouse lived together forever.

**The End**


End file.
